HD Plasma help

[cncbass]

we are purchasing a new HD plasma and I need some help and a few issues

material will be 6' x 12' .750 to 1.5 thick 316 SS will only be blanking parts prior to machining

I am talking to 3 different table mfg's and have decided to use the Hypertherm HPR300 unit

2 builder's recommends down draft and the other says water table? whose is right?

money is a consideration but reliability is most important - looking at Alltra , ATK, and Messer let me know if i have missed anyone else

Thanks for you help

[cncbass]

No replies? am I in the wrong forum??

[jimcolt]

Downdraft is best for cut edge smoothness and quality however it either requires a large filtration unit or a blower that simply blows the dust (and your shop heat) outside.

Water tables are very effective without requiring a blower / filter, and keep your heat inside, however to use Hypertherm's True Hole technology (best hole quality) you will need to lower the water to the point where it doesn't splash on the cut face.....which will dramatically effect the quality of holes.

There is no HPR300, however there is the new Hypertherm XPR300 XD system. Also not sure who "ATK" is. Other high end industrial plasma manufacturers are AKS Cutting, Koike, Hornet Cutting Systems, Machitek, and a few more that you can find on the www.hypertherm.com website.

[thatboystevo]

I run dual hpr260's at work on a 14'x50' water table. We also have the hpr400 on another table. Both built by alltra